Magnitude 5.4 quake strikes northern Sudan area

January 4, 2018 (KHARTOUM) — A magnitude 5.4 earthquake hit Marawi area in northern Sudan on Thursday, although no damages have been recorded.

According to the Geological Research Authority of Sudan (GRAS), the country’s main seismological monitoring station in Khartoum detected a series of earthquakes in the Merowe area, 350km north to Khartoum since the first day of January.

The earthquakes continued at irregular intervals and varying degrees (2/3/4) to reach (5.4) on the Richter scale on Thursday, the GRAS further said.

Oceanographic data reveal that seafloor spreading is slowly widening the Red Sea. The Red Sea Rift was formed by the divergence between the African Plate and the Arabian Plate.

“The shaking was felt by area’s residents,” said Mohamed Abu Fatima the GRAS general director.

He stressed they would continue to monitor the situation in the region and send a technical team to the area hit by the earthquakes.

Abu Fatima further reassured the residents, pointing that they should not be scared by such light quake but at the same time be cautious.

In March 2017, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale struck south of the Al-Obied near Khor Abu Habil area in North Kordofan state.